Crystaline Dreams-Prologue Test
by X1
Summary: This is just a prologue to my other story, Crystaline Dreams. I'm in the middle of wondering if I should rewrite the whole story, or continue with what I have. So, I need YOUR reviews to help me decide. Sorry if it sucks, but I've lost my inspiration.


All the characters do not belong to me, because if I did, the games wouldn't have deteriorated to what we are now forced to play *cough X6 *cough, cough.    _Crystalline _

_                           Dreams:_

                  The Chronicles of  

                                                                      **Rockman ****X****:**

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**                                                                                                             PROLOGUE**

"I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,   
You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in,   
And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand.   
I would understand, 

The angry boy, a bit too insane,   
Icing over a secret pain,   
You know you don't belong,   
You're the first to fight, You're way too loud,   
You're The flash of light, On a burial shroud,   
I know something's wrong,   
Well everyone I know has got a reason, To say, put the past away, 

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,   
You could cut ties with all the lies, That you've been living in,   
And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand,   
I would understand. 

Well he's on the table, And he's gone to code,   
And I do not think anyone knows,   
What they are doing here,   
And your friends have left, You've been dismissed,   
I never thought it would come to this, And I, I want you to know,   
Everyone's got to face down the demons,   
Maybe today, We can put the past away, 

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,   
You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in,   
And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand,   
I would understand,   
I would understand... 

Can you put the past away, I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend, 

I would understand..." –Third Eye Blind (Jumper)

            The man stood back on the highway, where it had all began…so long ago.  The very first insurrection, and hopefully the last, and once again, he was the only one capable of fighting back.  There was only one exception this time.  The man wasn't fighting for peace, or anything heroic.  That was just a nice little byproduct of the whole venture.  He was searching… searching for his friend whom had disappeared three years ago, and had left him in this world alone.  It was driving him mad, and all he could do was let out a choked scream of anguish.  He stopped his mindless tantrum, and listened in as his name was called over the communicator.  "X!  X, please respond!" Called a commanding female voice.             X smirked to himself, thinking of the girl's naivety.  No one would be able to stop him from reaching his goal.  "Alia," X whispered quietly,  "Don't try to get in my way.  I'm ending this, and I'm gonna find Zero."             "No!"  The woman called out on the other end.  "Please," She whispered, "You'll die…"             A slot opened up on his indigo armor in his right forearm, just under his hand.  Almost invisibly, a sword-less handle struck out, and X grasped it before it got past his fingertips.  Slowly, he ignited the blade, and he was bathed in the soft green light as the sword became whole.  Bringing up the prized Z-Saber to his face, he swung it around and back down to the floor.  "Alia, remember that I'll always" X was cut off as two missiles shot past him and exploded, thrusting him forward.  Easily landing back on two repliroid feet, X looked to his front at the two bee-shaped helicopters.  "Bee Bladers," He scoffed.  He raised his sword as another volley of missiles charged him.  Twisting himself around the first one, he spun about and let the second almost pass him, bringing the blade down on the projectile and cutting it into two.  X looked back at the helicopters, deciding how to go about this.  

            Figuring it best to just charge them, X did just that.  He took the sword to his side, so the blade jutted from his right, and he let his emergency dash system in his boots propel him forward.  He closed his eyes in a moment of peace, before cutting the mechaniloids down.  Landing with a skid, he walked on calmly as the Bladers fell with a deafening explosion.  

Alia was going mad on the other side of his comm., back at the Irregular Hunter HQ.  She was calling for him to stop, even though she knew full well there was no method to blockade his path.  There might really only be one approach, and she shivered as the notion came to her.  This was going to get her court marshaled; she thought as she warped out into the battlefield.  

Immediately she wished she hadn't gone through with such a foolish act.  All around her was carnage.  People were being ripped apart by bloodthirsty repliroids, and all the hunters sent in to the fray were already mangled.  X truly was the only one left with the power to stop this, wasn't he?  Pulling herself from the surreal ness of it all, Alia took the time to hide herself from any possible attackers.  Silently, she passed through a hole in the wall of one of the city's many skyscrapers.  She sucked in a breath of air and clutched at the laser pistol she had brought along just incase something happened.  She hid herself from all sight, crouching behind some computers and mirrors, just waiting for X to come by.  She would know when he did.  Brushing a strand of blonde hair from her deep blue eyes, she just listened.  What kind of mess had she gotten herself into?

"X…" A man called out to the wind.  "… I'm waiting," He whispered.  He was Zero, the very best there was.  Letting the wind tousle his finely groomed hair and black cloak, he sighed.  This was taking too much time.  When would X appear?  Zero already knew he was coming, looking for him.  Just in anticipation, he ignited his own sword, a variant off the original he had once given to X.  He let a canine glisten in the moonlight as he smiled with evil intent, for an equally evil thought trampled his train of thought.  He watched from a building atop the chaos, as a pink beam of energy came down to the ground, forming his old colleague Alia.  Everything was perfect.  With Alia as his hostage, Zero would have no problem forcing his "brother" to fight.  He opted to let the girl walk into the building he was standing over before he would make his move.  Spotting an explosion a few blocks down the street, he knew it was time to move.  Then, as silent as the wind, he disappeared into the moonlight.  

X let another blast of plasma energy flow down the street, overloading and destroying the systems of his enemies, having complete disregard for any innocent bystanders there might have been.  He formed his "Mark 17 Mega Buster" back into his left hand and continued down the street.  Alia had come here to stop him, as he had seen her warp signature come down not too long ago, but that didn't matter.  Zero was here.  He could feel him close by.  But something was different.  There were two presences like Zero's, but one was different somehow…  Not a good sign by far.  He was walking into a trap, he knew, but didn't care.  It was just a ploy by his "brother."  Zero very well knew these couldn't stop him.  He was just working him up to get ready for the final fight… but why?  This wasn't the Zero he knew.  The second reading must have something to do with it, perhaps a double?  Anyway, X wouldn't let that stop him from getting Zero to come back home.  

Passing an intersection, two robots came dashing in front of him in huge ride armors.  The armors doubled the rider's power, and took any and all damage received for their passenger.  Oh well; he would just cut them down with the Z-Saber.  

After taking them down, everything in the city became quiet.  Nothing was moving except him, and even that was like some super slow motion.  He came to the end of the street, which broke off into another street passing before him as well as a huge banking building.  He looked to his left as well as his right, and noted he was surrounded on either side by an army of repliroids and mechaniloids.  Watching his reflection in one of the building's windows, he saw that another group of warriors were on his six.  He sighed.  How could he let himself come into such a jam?  He closed his eyes when he saw the shadow of hundreds of Death Rogumer battle ship recreations blot out the warring night sky.  He finally took a defensive position, and watched as everyone around him put up their own defenses as well.  

             An ear-piercing scream broke the area, but not from him.  Alia was in trouble, but he had no way of getting to her.  Had he taken the initiative to bring a plan along with him on this suicide mission, he'd been ready for this.  Of course, calling up another set of armor would have solved his problems easily as well, but he promised himself that he would only fight with his own abilities and weapons.  Zero would do the same too, or at least so he hoped.  

Suddenly, thousands of beams rained down from the sky all around him, and formed more repliroids from Hunter HQ.  X smiled to himself.  Even though this was his death mission, all his men were still loyal enough to help.  They'd follow him to hell and back, wouldn't they?  He gave them all a thankful smile, and in doing so, he rushed into the building…

Zero sat inside the banker's building, on top of one of the computer desks.  He played around with Alia's laser gun, swinging it around a finger mindlessly.  He looked back at his captive, who had huddled herself into a corner, much like a mouse.    "What's wrong?" He teased.   "I thought you would've enjoyed my company…"

Alia just stared back into Zero's blood red eyes and tried to hold herself tighter then before.  "What's happened to you…?"  

Zero smirked back in response.  "I just came back from hell, and I wanted to party…" He stopped, for a brief moment, as if he had seen something in the shadows.  He smiled again, this time closing his eyes.  "Yes, yes it's time.  Come on out X, we need to settle some things."

Alia stared at Zero with a peculiar look on her face.  Then she looked at the direction he had been facing a moment ago.  Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she questioned his antics, "What's you're plan Zero?"  Zero didn't answer this time, but instead he yanked X's spotter off the ground and wrapped an arm around her neck and pressed the end where the blade would protrude to her back.

Zero smiled when he heard the familiar whine of X's buster cannon charging for an attack.  "I wouldn't," He called out.  "I know that you wouldn't much like Alia dead.  

At once, the sound died down, and X walked out into the open.  His eyes narrowed when Alia tried to struggle out of Zero's grip, stopping when he ground the saber deeper into her back.  "Stop using her as a shield Zero."  He said.

Zero laughed haughtily in his friend's face.  "No, no X, she's just the catalyst!"  His laugh then turned into a deranged cackle as he ignited the saber and jammed it through Alia's screaming body.  Digging it through, he relished her writhing for a moment, and ripped it out from the right.  He let her slide to the ground and merely watched X's surprised face.  

Zero wouldn't stop his laughter, his horrible laughter.  X couldn't keep his thoughts in order.  Alia had dropped to her knees, holding her side as a pool of her blood had formed around the floor.  Everything was happening so quickly, yet it felt like slow motion.  Quickly, he rushed to Alia before she completely toppled over, and wrapped his arms around her.  She was still in shock from the initial attack, and her mouth hung open in disbelief.  Gently, X laid her head on his shoulder, and tried to quiet her trembling.  He knew this was bad; there was no way he could help her in time.  She was losing fluids rapidly… suddenly an idea hit the hunter.  He took his left hand and placed it around Alia's damaged area, wincing when she cried out in anguish.  A glow formed around his hand and he slowly transferred his own energy to help her auto repair function at a higher rate than usual.  Promptly, the wound healed itself, leaving an open spot on the black body glove covering her under what little armor she wore.  

X sighed, as he let Alia lie down on the floor, so she could recover from the loss of blood.  He stood up, a little weak from losing so much power.  He glared at Zero, who was shaking his head at him.  "X, why throw your life away so recklessly?"

X replied, "If I didn't, who would?"

Zero smiled at the remark.   "You've grown up little brother.  I'm glad that we knew eachother."

The indigo hunter looked at his best friend as if there were some bugs in his system.  "What're you talking about?"

"Enough!" Zero boomed.  "We end this now!"

His "little brother" understood full well what was going on.  One of them wouldn't leave this fight alive.  "But why?"

In response, the red devil raised a lit sword, X following suit after a moment of hesitation.  Zero stepped forward and brought the blade down swiftly, only to have X block the meager attack.  Lunging forward, he slashed again, much harder this time, making X lose his balance from the force.  Taking the opening, he slammed his surrogate brother through the wall and every wall thereafter.  Before breaching the last wall, X dug his heels down and stopped his approach.  Using their ongoing momentum, he shot himself out of the building, swinging Zero around by an arm to break the last barrier and his fall.  

Zero growled.  "Stop holding back!"  The other fighter's green eyes intensified with burning hatred, and Zero jeered him on as he saw this, "Yes, X!  That's it!  Let your anger consume you, and fight me with all your strength!"

X almost lost his senses, and began to question his friend.  "Why?  Why must we fight?"

Zero's patience had finally run out.  "You must! If you don't, I'll kill everyone, even you, and then you won't be around to stop Alia from dieing!"  He screamed as he pushed X off of him with his legs.

X landed softy on his feet, and let Zero jump back into a standing position.  The two stood there in silence, just staring the other in the eyes.  Finally, X broke the silence.  "You're not Zero…"

The imposter smiled at the hunter.  "That's right, I'm not, but I'm just as good!"  With that, the fake Zero leapt forward and thrust his sword at X's body, catching him off guard.  

X cringed as he felt the searing pain on his hand after he caught the blade.  He sneered, ignoring the hurt.  "Feel my bane…" He said, bringing up his sword and slashing the cheap copy in half.  He looked up at the night sky, still feeling the real Zero's presence.  "…When did you switch places with your double… I know it was you in the bank.  How could you do this…?"  He stopped, in surprise as he felt a pain in his chest.  He looked down at another energy blade was retracting itself from his energy core.  It couldn't be… another fake?  No, this was the real deal.  Turning around he saw Zero, in all his poetic glory.  X reached out to him, and managed to hang an arm loosely over Zero's shoulder.

He sighed, watching X lay his head on his shoulder, next to his face.  He slumped a little more with each passing moment, his energy leaving him rapidly.  He closed his eyes and prayed his friend might forgive him in the future.  He opened his eyes again when he felt something wet on his face.  Not blood, but tears.  "X," he said comfortingly.  "Forgive me, but this is all for the better.  We need to fill our roles…" Zero stopped, eyes wide open.  He looked down at his friend.  This was impossible… X's own saber was jammed into Zero's stomach.  "How'd… no way…?

X let himself slide to the floor totally, falling on his back.  He looked at Zero, who was grasping his belly, trying to stop the blood loss.  He stepped back a little, and turned his head to the side, probably looking at something.  X could hear voices, but they seemed so far away… suddenly, Zero disappeared the same way he had managed to come back, and X could no longer see clearly.  Blurry images came over his face, like beams of light passing by.  He managed to feel something on his face, perhaps a hand.  Someone was lifting him up, but he couldn't tell anymore.  It was so dark and quiet…


End file.
